by our College Data Analytics TeamEnvironmental Education was the 1,146 most popular major in the 2020-2021 school year. Colleges in the United States reported awarding 96 degrees in this year alone. This represents a 12.5% increase in environmental education degrees awarded over the prior year's total of 84.
Our 2023 Best Environmental Education Schools ranking analyzes 6 of these schools to determine the best overall colleges for environmental education students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of environmental education programs later in this article.
One of the most important skills you will need for a career in environmental education is talking to others to convey information effectively. Teaching others how to do something and selecting and using training instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things are all required skills for careers related to this major.
environmental education degree applicants generally need have finished high school or their GED. Many schools may also have GPA and SAT/ACT score minimums that must be met. Specific environmental education careers may require a certain level of degree attainment or additional certifications beyond that.
There are various different levels of environmental education degrees. You can get anything from a in environmental education to the highest environmental education degree, a . Depending on the environmental education degree you choose, obtaining your diploma can take anwhere from 1 to 4+ years.
| Degree | Credit Requirements | Typical Program Length |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 60-70 credits | 2 years |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 120 credits | 4 years |
| Master’s Degree | 50-70 credits | 1-3 years |
| Doctorate | Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation | At least 4 years |
A bachelor's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to environmental education, with approximately 63.3% of workers getting one. People currently working in careers related to environmental education tend obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 65.4% |
| Master’s Degree | 15.5% |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate | 12.8% |
| Post-Master’s Certificate | 2.3% |
| Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 1.6% |
About 96.4% of workers in careers related to environmental education obtain at least bachelor's degrees. View the chart below to get an idea of what degree level most of those in environmental education careers have.
This of course varies depending on which environmental education career you choose.
Want a job when you graduate with your environmental education degree? Environmental Education careers are expected to grow 7.5% between 2016 and 2026.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to environmental education.
| Occupation Name | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers | 1,514,900 | 7.4% |
| High School Teachers | 1,095,500 | 7.5% |
| Middle School Teachers | 677,700 | 7.5% |
As you might expect, salaries for environmental education graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
Salaries for environmental education graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers environmental education grads often go into.
| Occupation Name | Median Average Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Teachers | $64,340 |
| Elementary School Teachers | $62,200 |
| Middle School Teachers | $62,030 |
With over 22 different environmental education degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased environmental education school rankings to help you with this.
One of 37 majors within the Teacher Education Subject Specific area of study, Environmental Education has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Physical Education Teaching & Coaching | 8,121 |
| Reading Teacher Education | 6,490 |
| Music Education | 4,761 |
| Mathematics Education | 3,395 |
| English & Language Arts Education | 3,113 |
Image Credit: By Aparajita Datta under License More about our data sources and methodologies.
